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Isiah Kinloch waits for customers to arrive at Artistic Ink in Summerville, where he works as a tattoo artist, Friday, July 27, 2018. Kinloch had a run-in with North Charleston Police in 2015 that changed his life. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch gives a tattoo to a customer at Artistic Ink in Summerville in 2018. After Kinloch was attacked a few years ago, police came to the hospital to tell him they had seized $1,800 cash from his closet after a search. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch brings a portable bed to his workspace. He never got a chance to fight for money taken by police. Notices for a civil court process went to his old address, and he didn't know about the chance to appeal the seizure. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch repairs the back heel strap of a pair of shoes for a friend. During an incident that has changed his life, Kinloch fought off a robber who barged into his apartment and attacked him. The defining moment: police found and seized his money while he was at the hospital being treated for his injuries. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch cleans shoes in his home July 29, 2018. The tattoo artist picks up side jobs, like shoe repair and sales. He lost his rent money after calling 911 to report an intruder had attacked him. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch holds Oakland Rae Patrick as he hangs out with Jordyn Patrick and Dominique Mccants at Music In Motion Family Fun Center in Summerville for his son's birthday party on July 29, 2018. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Isiah Kinloch drives back to work at Artistic Ink in Summerville after stopping by his son's birthday party. He fought off a robber in 2015 but lost his money — to police who arrived on scene. JOSH MORGAN/Staff

Citizens don't have easy recourse to regain their money and property, because it all takes place under civil law, without court-appointed attorneys. Most states, including South Carolina, have no oversight into how often police seize money from people, who they seize it from or how much law enforcement profits.

The TAKEN investigation scoured every civil asset forfeiture case in South Carolina, more than 3,200 cases involving more than 4,000 people from 2014 to 2016, and found surprising results in a first-of-its-kind investigation.

Here are 5 takeaways:

1. Police seize millions of dollars each year

Agencies in South Carolina seized more than $17 million from people over the course of three years. The bulk of that money ends up in the hands of law enforcement to pay for drug crime fighting. Police in South Carolina use the money to buy parts for helicopters, lunches at training sessions, ballistic vests and other equipment and in some places to pay for the department’s K-9 unit.

2. In your state, civil forfeiture may not be used heavily at all.

Nebraska, New Mexico and North Carolina have eliminated civil forfeiture, while 29 states have enacted reforms to place some limits on forfeiture in recent years, according to the Institute for Justice, a reform advocacy law practice. Motivating factors for the state changes mainly centered on property owner protection and elimination of profit incentives for police.

3. Police often don’t make an arrest.

We found almost 800 times when police seized money or property when no related criminal charge could be found in the court system. In another 800 cases, someone was charged with a crime but was not convicted. Often the civil case still proceeded.

As part of recent reforms, 15 states have made forfeiture dependent on a criminal conviction. South Carolina has not enacted any reform, though two bills were filed in late 2018 and a third bill was filed this week.

4. Black men bear the brunt of forfeiture cases.

In South Carolina, 65 percent of all forfeiture cases involved black men, though black men make up just 13 percent of the state’s population.

Some places showed an even wider disparity. In Myrtle Beach, 82 percent of forfeiture cases were filed against black men. They make up 13 percent of the city’s population.

5. Your cash disappears in minutes. It may take years to get it back.

Prosecutors in South Carolina have up to two years after police take your money to file a civil court case justifying the seizure. They often take nearly that long. On average, the investigation found that when a person petitions to have their money or property returned, the case takes 17 months to be resolved from the time your money was taken, even if you did nothing wrong. Your other option? Hire your own lawyer and sue the police to try to get it sooner.

Forfeiture has been a hot topic recently at the federal level. President Barack Obama’s administration put some limits on sharing civil forfeiture cases between state and federal agencies, but President Donald Trump’s administration rolled back those limits.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard a case in November that could impact civil forfeiture at the state level. The court is expected to rule in Timbs vs. Indiana on whether the Eighth Amendment’s clause on excessive fines applies to forfeiture at the state level.